Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Overwhelmed? Handle Your Tasks Like a Boss!

Many of us have long to-do lists, and loads of other responsibilities on top of those. It can be overwhelming, to say the least. We could cut the lists down and unload some of the responsibilities, but too often we still feel like what-the-what else can I do? Well, don't dismay! There are a few things that you can do now to get over being overloaded and overwhelmed, and start handling your life like a true boss! 


1. Get some help. Seriously.  
I heard an amazing story about a true superwoman a few years ago. She was the special guest speaker for a class I sat in on at the corporate university where I worked at the time. She was married with kids. She was working full time. She had just obtained her degree and was headed to law school. She had one child while in school, and said she still wasn't finished growing her family yet. She said she had no choice but to become a good manager of her life. She solicited friends and family members to pick up her kids. She had someone help them with homework. She had relatives prepare dinner nightly for her family. She had help come to keep her house clean and neat. And, with all of this, she somehow still made sure her kids and husband felt her love and presence.

This woman was a master at doing life skillfully, and that was the takeaway she wanted all of the professionals in the room to grasp. Her message was inspiring and empowering. So, why not give it a try? Ask trusted, reliable friends and family to help out with some of your errands and chores. If that doesn't work, hire someone to be your personal assistant for a few hours a week now and then. A lot of unload can happen in three or four hours, and it's worth the fifty or sixty bucks you invest in someone. It's a win-win all around.

2. Get a professional organizer to come in for a consultation with you. He or she can help you find the weak spots in your days and hours, and help you structure your life in a more efficient way. Many of the things on our lists can be taken care of in a short amount of time, sometimes within minutes. But, when we keep adding things to the lists instead of taking care of them and taking them off, the potential for stressing and feeling out of control is great. Once you organize your thoughts, you'll organize your lists and manage the time and dedication needed to handle matters, and at the same time you'll be organizing your life. It's a sure formula.


3. Get online and look for support groups. There are many, many busy people just like you. Join them in conversations. Go to their meet-ups. It's a great way to de-stress and learn some new life skills for handling the tasks of our daily grinds. Find out what their balancing acts are like and what they do to cope with life, work and family. Be honest, be open. Learning one new, really great skill, or embracing a new idea you had not thought of could change the game for you. You could go from being overwhelmed to underwhelmed in no time. It can happen!

Juggling the tasks of daily life can be more than a notion, I know, but they can be handled. Decide to make some boss moves today. Try a thing or two or three from this list and see if that does the trick. You may be pleasantly surprised, and it just may take the load off. ~ S.R.F.